


I'd Pick You Over Dirt Any Day

by OneTwoVillainess



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Attempt at Humor, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Kissing, M/M, POV Zuko (Avatar), Partially Blind Zuko (Avatar), Requited Love, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, no beta we die like men, protect the turtleducks, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:21:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneTwoVillainess/pseuds/OneTwoVillainess
Summary: “I always knew the night sky needed something to jujug it up,”.Zuko folds his legs into himself and leans forward so he can rest his head on his knee. Looking at Sokka, he can still feel the smile ever present on his face, “Yeah, it really did,”.Sokka’s face is still pointed upward at the starless sky illuminated in the soft glow of the street lights. It's hard to make out his precise features, but Zuko’s spent enough staring at his face that he doesn’t need any light to picture it."***A cute little fic of them talking back home after their first date and everything's perfect. Purely self indulgent fluff but I want you guys to enjoy this little piece too
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 22





	I'd Pick You Over Dirt Any Day

Walking through the park there’s a chill in the air against the exposed skin of his face but it doesn’t stung or numb, instead it’s refreshing and calls him into focus. Sokka’s walking next to him on his right and the night feels endless. It’s too late in the year for there to be any crickets or insect activity so it’s just them alone in the park and it’s perfect.  
Sokka starts laughing next to him. They hadn’t been doing anything or saying anything so there’s nothing to laugh at but that doesn’t matter when it’s his laughter. It’s warm and infectious. Slowing down to look down at him, Zuko’s smiling but he gives him a puzzled look. He doesn’t respond with anything but more giggles that fill the night air. Sokka’s blue eyes stare up at him and he winks.  
Sokka takes off down the path. Zuko stops and watches him. When he’s built up enough speed he jumps into the air and clicks his heels together. He stumbles on the landing, collapsing to the ground in the middle of the path. Once Zuko hears soft laughter spilling out from the other boy he breaks down into a fit of laughter that folds him in half. He’s still laughing as he stumbles his way to Sokka. He flops down on the concrete to sit next to him.   
When their laughter subsides Zuko feels the smile on his face remain. Sokka’s lying on the ground looking up at him through the remnants of his laughter he manages to tell Zuko, “Thats, that's what Aang used to do when we were kids whenever he was really REALLY happy. And I always wanted to try it,”. Sokka starts laughing again and Zuko looks down at him as he chuckles with him. “Spirits, please, I need you to try to picture it. Aang when he was like Toph’s height running down a crowded school hallway, yelling out apologies to everyone he runs into, jumping and clicking his heels together,”. Zuko can picture it, it’s just so Aang. And it’s hilarious. He lets himself slide down onto the ground as his body is racked with laughter. “And… and,” chokes out Sokka, “he used to wear light up sneakers while doing it,”.  
He’s laughing even harder at the mental image. His body is racked with laughter, his laughter locks up his core lifting himself partially off the ground before dropping him back down, again and again and again.   
“Oh my spirits, oh my spirits,” cries out Zuko. Spirits, he can’t stop laughing. It takes a few minutes and quite a few deep breaths but it seems he and Sokka have finally calmed down enough. But when he looks at Sokka and Sokka looks at him he can’t help laughing again.  
Forcing himself to breathe and calm down he pushes himself up so he’s sitting next to Sokka. Before the early winter cold was something he fought against but he’s hot and sweating from laughing so hard now. He unbuttons the denim jacket he was wearing and starts to fan himself. Forcing air into his lungs and against his surely flushed face. Sokka pushes himself up to sit next to him and they’re close enough that they’re legs are touching.  
Sighing, Zuko places his arms behind him and leans against them, turning his face up to the night sky.  
“Wow,” says Sokka, “Such beautiful stars tonight,” Zuko snorts. They’re sitting in the middle of a street lamp lit path in the middle of Ba Sing Se, there isn’t a single star visible in the night sky.  
“Truly remarkable,” says Zuko. There may not be any stars but it’s still beautiful. The lamps emit a soft yellow light, the barren trees hang overhead create the illusion of seclusion in the normally bustling city, and the view is beautiful. “The added light pollution really makes it something special,”.  
Sokka snaps his fingers, “That’s it,” he exclaims Sokka, “I always knew the night sky needed something to jujug it up,”.  
Zuko folds his legs into himself and leans forward so he can rest his head on his knee. Looking at Sokka, he can still feel the smile ever present on his face, “Yeah, it really did,”.  
Sokka’s face is still pointed upward at the starless sky illuminated in the soft glow of the street lights. It's hard to make out his precise features, but Zuko’s spent enough staring at his face that he doesn’t need any light to picture it. He watches as he allows a soft sigh to escape from between his lips, “I do miss them though,”.  
“The stars?”  
Humming in agreement, Sokka’s shoulders relax and he leans forward off his arms too. He’s hands fall into his lap and he begins to fiddle with them. But his gaze doesn’t leave the sky. Zuko returns his own attention to the night sky. Speaking softly Sokka says, “In the South Pole on a clear night the stars stretch on for miles across the sky. There are some that are so bright they have to be entire galaxies of their own. But then there are others that are so dim and faint, they're barely descrainable compared to others. But… but they’re all, so beautiful,”.  
“In the fire nation in Caldera,” says Zuko, matching Sokka’s soft volume, “you can’t see any stars, it’s too bright. But when I was a kid my mother would take our family to Ember Island in the summers. And at night on the beach there were so many stars. I remember leaning back further and further so I could see all of them and trying to turn so I could see even more, and I remember tripping and falling backwards into the sand and not even bothering to get up because the stars were just, so pretty,”. Zuko laughs at the memory and when he hears chuckles coming from beside him he lowers his head to look at Sokka.  
He bumps Sokka with his shoulder and leans in closer, “It wasn’t that funny,”.  
Still laughing, Sokka tears his gaze from the sky and fixes Zuko with it, “I don’t know. How I’m picturing it is pretty funny,”.  
“It really wasn’t. I got sand everywhere,” protests Zuko but now he’s laughing himself.  
Sokka brings a hand over his mouth as if it will help contain his laughter, “I think me and the sand still find it pretty funny”.  
Zuko reaches out and lowers Sokka’s hand from his mouth, “As the victim of said sand I am hurt you’re siding with it over me,”. Zuko doesn’t let go of his hand and it’s resting in the small amount of space between them now.  
Sokka manages to stop laughing and smiles at him, “My sincerest apologies,” he says holding his hand, that’s not entwined with Zuko’s, over his heart “I’d never pick sand over you, promise,”. Once he might have averted his gaze and felt the bloom of a blush across his check but now he keeps his gaze locked on to Sokka and smiles.  
Zuko tilts his head down, “Thank you, I’ve never had someone pick me over sand before,”.  
“Who knows maybe I’ll even pick you over gravel one day,”. Sokka chuckles at his own joke and Zuko laughs along with him while watching his mouth.  
When the laughter subsides Zuko leans in closer. Flitting his eyes from Sokka’s mouth to his eyes he sees the other boy leaning closer into him. Zuko smiles. He lets out a small breath. He closes his eyes. He closes the distance between them. He’s kissing Sokka.  
He feels the other boy’s smile melt into the kiss. It’s warm and soft and it’s Sokka and him. It’s so nice. When Zuko pulls back from the kiss he remains close enough that they're still sharing the same breaths. Looking into Sokka’s eyes he sees them crinkled from the smile across his face that Zuko knows mirrors his own.  
Zuko rubs his thumb against Sokka’s hand that he’s still holding before he releases it to hold Sokka’s shoulders. Sokka leans in and they kiss again, and again, and again.  
When they part again Sokka rests his head against Zuko’s. “Congratulations I think you’ve just secured your place over concrete as well,”. Zuko laughs and kisses him again. Sokka’s hands intertwin behind him and pull them closer together.  
When the kiss breaks Zuko remains in Sokka’s arms and smiles down at him “It’s truly an honor,”. They fall into a fit of laughter.   
When the laughter naturally subsides Sokka darts out and pecks him on his lips,“Your welcome,”.They sit there for a few beats smiling at each other underneath the yellow street lights. “Would it be weird to just sit here forever and stare at you?”.  
“Ugh, maybe?” answers Zuko. Seeing Sokka’s pout at his answer he laughs before leaning forward to kiss him again.  
Eventually, they separate and Zuko rests his head against Sokka’s shoulder. Spirits, it’s soft. Maybe, just maybe, they can stay here in this moment forever. But he closes his eyes and knows that no, he has work and they have school and friends and family. He sighs into Sokka’s shoulder, “It’s getting late isn’t it?” mumbles Zuko.  
“Nope,” says Sokka holding the other boy to his shoulder, rubbing small circles into his back. “”Time’s an illusion. A social concept. It doesn’t exist therefore it can’t be late,”. Zuko laughs and it’s muffled by Sokka’s sweatshirt. He pulls far enough back to tilt his head to look at Sokka. He doesn’t want to leave either but a part of him knows they have to.  
It must show on his face because Sokka decides to redouble his efforts, “Maybe we can stay here forever. You know, there’s a turtleduck pond we can move into,” he says “That would be nice just leaving out life as a turtleduck,”. Zuko has to concede that yes, that would be nice, but they’re human adults with responsibilities.   
“You’d get tired of just eating bread and you know it, ” he tells Sokka, knocking his shoulder with his head.  
“Like I could ever get tired of bread” huffs Sokka.  
“You say that now,” argues Zuko, “but all the old people would sit on the benches by the pond and throw bread crumbs at our heads. And we would get sick of bread,”.  
“Hm, okay. I guess some variety would be nice,” admits Sokka. He moves to stand up and offers Zuko a hand up, which he takes. Standing Sokka continues, “Plus, it’s not like turtleducks are even supposed to eat bread,” he says shaking his head.  
“WHAT!?!” squawks Zuko, “But….but their turtleducks,”. Wait, what? His eyes go wide and he stares at Sokka. Zuko’s hands find their way to his hair and he starts raking his hands through it. Spirits are turtleducks not supposed to eat bread. Why wouldn’t they eat bread? OMS, do they have a secret gluten allergy? Has he been killing them this entire time?  
“Yeah, it’s bad for their stomachs,” continues Sokka. He looks like he’s trying to stop himself from laughing at him. OMS, how can he be so calm right now? How can he find this funny? Zuko has just found out he’s been hurting turtle ducks his entire life and he’s freaking out. “They’re supposed to eat like fruits and stuff, like grapes.” explains Sokka. And dear Agni forgive him, Zuko hasn’t ever fed a turtleduck a single fruit in his entire life. “Oh, like the song,” says Sokka, snapping his fingers at the memory,‘“A tutrleduck walked up to a lemonade stand and he said to the man running the stand hey bum bum bum get any grapes? Have you never heard the song?”. Oh no, Zuko’s heard that song before but he just assumed it was a stupid internet song, not an instructional video on how not to kill turtleducks.   
Sokka’s looking at him and it looks like he’s fighting a losing battle against the smile creeping its way onto his face. How can he be smiling right now, turtleducks are probably dead. How can he be smiling at a turtleduck murderer?  
“My entire life is a lie!!!” he yells aloud to the empty park. Sokka reaches out and takes Zuko’s hands in his own. OMs, does this mean he’s worse than Azula? At least when she killed a turtleduck she did it quickly whereas he was slowly poisoning thousands of them apparently.  
“It’s okay you didn’t know” comforts Sokka.  
“Tell that to all the turtleducks I’ve murdered. Agni, how many have I killed?”  
“I doubt you’ve murdered any turtleducks,” he reassures, “You probably just gave them a tummy ache,”. Zuko stops and pouts at Sokka but he’s just smiling at him.   
Sighing Zuko relents, “I know you’re lying to me and thank you I needed that,” he takes a deep breath “So okay, fine, we’re just going to pretend I haven’t slaughtered entire flocks of turtleducks,”. Sokka laughs at him.  
“Good,” Sokka leans forward and presses a quick kiss to Zuko’s right check, “because turtleduck murderers are awful kissers,” he whispers into Zuko’s ear.   
“What and you’ve kissed a lot of turtleduck murderers before?” huffs Zuko. Sokka chuckles and leans back so he can look him in the eyes and raises a brow questioningly. Zuko rolls his eyes before he leans forward and closes the space between their lips.  
“See, you’re a good kisser so you can’t possibly be a turtleduck murderer,” says Sokka when they pull apart to catch their breath  
He gives his shoulders a half shrug. “Yeah, well, I actually only see out of my right eye so I can’t see that great,” and then they’re leaning into each other for support because they're laughing so hard again.  
Eventually they gain their composure again and Sokka wraps an arm around Zuko’s shoulder and he leans into the side embrace wrapping his own arm around the other boy’s waist. Sokka gestures to the path in front of them and they start a slow winding walk back to the Jasmine Dragon entwined in each other’s arms

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read so any mistakes are entirely my own and let me just say oops, I didn't proof read this  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated and are the fuel I live off of  
> This was suppose to be part of a huge 100,00 word fic I have in the making but I haven't worked on the fic in weeks because I have so much going on right now. I wrote this particular scene months ago and right now I just want to see if people are even interested in my writing, so let me know if this something you guys like  
> Also, ducks aren't suppose to eat a lot of bread so I am running with the idea that's it the same for turtleducks and now Zuko will forever be internally freaking out over it  
> I hope you guys liked it and sorry that literally everything I post is just part of something big that none of you know anything about


End file.
